US agency to help develop smart cities in India

New Delhi: The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) today signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh to support the development of smart cities in these states, it was announced here.

The MoUs with specific reference to development of Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam as smart cities were signed here in the presence of Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu, an official statement said.

Under the MoUs, the USTDA, an independent US government foreign assistance agency funded by the US Congress, will contribute funding for necessary feasibility studies and pilots, study tours, workshops/training and other projects to be mutually determined.

“It will invite a smart solutions for smart cities reverse trade mission delegation to the US, with delegates from the three states. It will also fund advisory services to support the development of smart cities,” it said.

During the signing of the MoUS, the US side was represented by Leocardia I Zak, director, USTDA, and the Indian side was represented by Alok Ranjan, Uttar Pradesh’s chief secretary, C.S. Ranjan, Rajasthan’s chief secretary, and I.V.R. Krishna Rao, Andhra Pradesh’s chief secretary, on behalf of their respective state governments.